Sustainable careers: towards a conceptual model Flashcards
Describe the theoretical framework used to describe and study sustainability of careers
What does a sustainable career involve (5)
- sequences of career experiences
- Several social spaces
- individual agency
- Adaptive
- Meaning
What are the 2 different approaches in this theoretical framework?
a systemic approach
a dynamic approach
what does a systemic approach entail? (2)
(1) Understand multiple factors affecting career sustainability
(2) Multiple stakeholder perspective as each individuals’ career is influenced by their context
What does a dynamic approach entail? (2)
(1) How do changes over time affect career sustainability
(2) Long-term perspective instead of measuring at one point in time
What are the 3 unique indicators of a sustainable career?
(1) Health - career fit with mental and physical capabilities
(2) Happiness - career fit with goals, values, growth and work/life balance
(3) productivity - career fit with organizational HR and strong current performance + high employability or potential int he future
What are the principles of conservation of resources theory? (2)
(1)Primacy of resource loss principle (losses loom larger than gains)
(2) Resource investment principle; protect, gain and recover
Describe sustainable career from conservation of resources theory (3)
(1) A resource can help individuals to attain a career goal or satisfy a need
(2) Career sustainability can be enhanced if one manages to adjust well to losses
(3) Concluding: individuals who proactively react to internal and external forces by investing in and conserving + acquiring alternative resources will be better able to protect the sustainability of their career
What does self-determination theory entail (3)
Need for autonomy
Need for competence
need for relatedness
How is autonomy fulfilled in a sustainable career
Individuals are inherently proactive and have a tendency to act
How is relatedness fulfilled in a sustainable career
individuals need an environment that provides resources and support activity and growth
How is competence fulfilled in a sustainable career
Individuals have an inherent tendency towards growth and development
What is the Matthew effect? (2)
People can find themselves in both resource gain and resource loss cycles.
Loss cycles make it increasingly difficult to fulfill basic psychological needs
What is selection, optimization and compensation theory? (SOC)
Individuals maximize gains and minimize losses they experience over time by using different strategies
What are the 3 different life span goals?
- Growth (higher level of functioning)
- Maintenance (maintaining current levels of functioning)
- Regulation of loss (functioning adequately at lower levels)
What are the 3 different dimensions for analyzing sustainable careers?
- Person dimension
- Context dimension
- Time dimension
What does agency mean?
What can a person do themselves to shape their careers. Which action possibilities do they have and apply?
What does the person dimension entail (2)?
- Agency
- Meaning
What does agency entail? (2)
- Proactivity
- Adaptability
How is seeing your work as job, career or calling different? (3)
As job = focus on financial rewards and necessity
As career = focus on advancement
As calling = focus on enjoyment or fulfillment
What does the context dimension entail (5)?
- Work group level
- organizational level
- Sector context
- national level
- Private life context
What is the role of time as inter-individual factor in sustainable careers?
Changes over time across different groups of people
For example surgeon; invests way more time int raining than a cashier
What is the role of time as an intra-individual factor in sustainable careers?
Changes over time in an individual’s career, for example due to aging, personal context other changes in other life domains
What does it mean that sustainable careers imply a cyclical, self-regulatory process?
Individuals can capture opportunities for dynamic learning by adapting to both positive/negative events within their personal and broader context over time. This allows individuals to adapt and influence their environment by sharpening their understanding of themselves, their personal and organizational context and the broader labour market
